St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-04

r.. S5EMNS trouble, al
though ten years
a widow. for Mr..
La Rue. many years older than herself,
had given and received a calm. quiet
affection. and when he died. leaving
her a widow at twenty-five, had be-
slowed upon her his ample fortune, un
controlled by conditions.
Two beautiful children were but an
added happiness in Imogene La Rue's
welded life, being healthy. loving dar
lingS. who gave her no anXietieS and
many pleasures.
But on this snowy January day Mrs.
La Rue, having seen the children well
wrapped up and started for school, and
Miss LeOnie CaStlemaine, her cousin
and guest, at the piano i'll the drawing
room practicing new fantasia. had
gone to her own private sitting room for
quiet hOnr of troubled Thought.
where Is Fred?' Miss Castlemaine
a little wider at the decided snap in her
cousins reply. ...-....
He has gone over to Mrs. Grants
for me-" .-..-..........
Now it was Miss Castlemaine and
Fred who were troubling Mrs. La Rue
almost beyond the little woman's power
of endurance.
Twice she had ventured to hint to
LeOnie that she was going too far in her
coquetting with Fred, and twice that
lady's sil1eFy. Laugh had preceded the
answer: Nonsense, ImOgene; he is
only boyw
Well, he was only a boy, just nine
teen-a precOciouS, sensitive boy, with
an inherited tendency to heart disease.
He was John La Rue's nephew, the
son of his only brother, orphaned while
very Young, and heir to property his
uncle had nursed very carefully for him
until it was a handsome sum, and which,
if Fred died-befOre he came of age,
would falF to Mrs. La Rue'S John and
1mogene.
1t was this fact that had made Mrs.
La Rue almost morbid in her care of
Frederick La Rue from the time when
he came to his uncle'S, a big-eyed,
pale-faced boy, frail and sensitive. and
needing far more care than her own
rosy, healthy children.
IF the money would not come to my
children" Mrs. La Rue thought, ''it
would not be so dreadful: but the idea
that they will be richer if Fred dies
makes me almost crazy. What can do?
l cannot send him away-he is too weak;
and LeOnie never hints of shortening
her visit. What can do?''
Travel over the ground as her thoughts
would, they came back always to the
same refrain-''What can do?'
LeOnie CaStlemaine was Mrs. La Rue'S
first cousin and belle. No one had
ever disputed her claim to the latter
title. Beautiful in the richest brunette
type, she had been trained by a
foolish, fashionable mother for society.
She was a splendid pianist, had a
rich cOntralto voice, highly cultivated,
danced with Incompatible grace, con-
versed brilliantly, and burst upon So
ciety as star of the first magnitude.
Her toilets were maryels of Partisan
art, and if her mothers income were
stretched to starvation limits to procure
them, neither murmured over Scanty
diet to adorn Leonie. She was to make
a dazzling marriage; that was under
stood. Nothing less than a nObleman
would win such charms; but the noble
men did not crowd about her. Some
how the artificial in her manner was too
apparent. There was too much of the
dramatic in her perfect bow; her sweet
voice was too well mOdulated; her atti-
tude too well posed.
Seasons in London, Brighton, and
wherever the society flocked, had
drained the maternal purse, and Mrs.
Castlemaine had said, with pathOs:
eve have been living on our capital for
two years, LeOnie, and you are nearly
twenty-Seven. | almost wish you had
accepted Mr.. Dolman."
And Leonie had replied, "Mr. Dolman
did not give me an opportunity"
"What are we to do this winter"
''I'll tell you! I'll make Cousin Imo-
gene visit. There is good society at
AshtOwn, and at any rate it will save
my expense toward summer at Scar
borough"
So, Self-invited. this gorgeous butter
fly of fashion had tluttened into Mrs. La
Rue'S quiet home, while Fred was there,
invaded by course of hard study at
college.
Now Irritation was the bread of life to
Leonie CaStlemaine, and the tall boy
who threw his admiration into his voice
and eyes in greeting her, was hand
some, refined specimen of an English
man. His eyes were as beautiful as her
own, with this difference, that their eX-
preston was dictated by his heart, while
hers merely obeyed her will.
1t was but natural and altogether
proper that Frederick La Rue should
place himself at the service of his aunt'S
guest and cousin. He was her escort to
the mild designations of AShtOwn; drove
her in his aunt'S pony carriage when
ever mild day tempted her Eout; prac-
tlced duets With her, the piano accom-
panyiDg his violin; listened to her mag
nificent voice in song, and, not grad
ually, but at once and for his life, loved
her as only such passionate. sensitive
temperament can love.
Even Mrs, La Rue, watching in fear,
did not realize the extent of the mischief
done. She saw Fred's infatuation, but
seeing, as only woman could see,
through Miss Castlemaine's many affec-
tationS, did not see that every we'll
assumed grace and charm were realities
to poor Fred. How could he know that
the voice lowered to such exquisite
tenderness for him was as well-trained
for Irritation as for song? Henever sus-
pected that the beautiful eyes that
dropped under his ardent gaze had prac-
tised that shy droD of the snowy lids
Will tozens of others.
Sometimes he laughed, sometimes he
grew indignant over his aunt's we'll
mint cautions. What if Leonie was
older than himself? Love did not pause
to count years! What if Leonie had
been in society many seasons? She had